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Why I Find Comfort and Solace in Knitting

The thing about a hard time is that you have something hard to manage.
When you have hard times, spite can feel nice, momentarily, but it doesnโ€™t do much. So, instead, I pull out my knitting needles to leave behind the stress before I have to return to it tomorrow.

It all began when I had the news about my Hodgkins lymphoma, while I was planning my wedding and my final exam in architecture. Indeed it was a busy month.
My neighbor, Patricia, was in our kitchen, chatter with my mom, and was knitting on what looked like a sweater for her niece. I approached her, wading into her manufactured idyll to puncture it with my curiosity. I barraged her with questions: What are you making? How long did this take? Could I learn? Was it easy?
She answered so patiently that I was instantly convinced knitting had to be some mood stabilizer.
The day after, I had borrowed two knitting needles and my mom’s old balls of yarn. It was winter in Rome, and my future husband was scarfless, so I figured that type of built-in goal would be useful to get and keep me going.

I studied and made chemotherapy on the days and knitted on the nights. The weekends are for sleeping and planning my wedding.

Like any good millennial, I learned on YouTube. Sometimes my neighbor helped me, and I learn the cast on from my grandma. I had to restart a lot of times, but I was continually getting better.
By my third chemo, my stitches came more natural, and my hands moved with ease around each other. I didnโ€™t have to hyperfocus on my fingers, whispering โ€twist, through, over, pullโ€ narrating each action.
Knitting became a crafty respite, a safe dissociation. I found comfort and solace in knitting.

Then Iโ€™ve gone through phases of knitting loads or not at all many times. When I was pregnant with my first daughter, Iโ€™ve got back into comfort and solace in knitting in a big way, and I thought today Iโ€™d tell you about three things I love about knitting.

First of all, I like the products of knitting. Every item is unique, and exactly as you want it. Plus, you get the satisfaction of knowing that you made it yourself.
Secondly, I enjoy the creative process, from when choosing the patterns and yarn, to knitting itself. Itโ€™s relaxing, kind of like meditation.
My third reason is that knitting is a passive sociable activity. There are millions of craft blogs where you can get inspired, and thereโ€™s Ravelry, an active social network. If you prefer to see people, knitting and craft groups are meeting in pubs and cafes in most places.

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